# Wagner Mota ("Wagnão")

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## Overview

**Name:** Wagner Mota

**Nickname:** Wagnão


## Bio

A judo black belt who never paid for the certificate, Wagner Mota crossed over to jiu-jitsu at 26 under Marcelo Behring at Bibi in São Paulo. After Behring’s 1994 murder, Mota trained with Sylvio Behring, Fábio Gurgel, and Ralph Gracie, cornering Gurgel in his UFC and Vale Tudo matches and receiving his brown belt from him in 1997. A knee injury and an açai business pulled him away until the Alliance split drove him to Master, then to TT, where Fernando Tererê and Eduardo Telles awarded his black belt in 2003. When Tererê left the sport, Mota rejoined Demian Maia’s gym and became Maia’s full-time grappling coach during the welterweight title run.
## Specialties

- n/a
## Achievements

- CBJJE World Champion (2011 Master)
- CBJJ/IBJJF Brazilian National Champion (2014 Master 4)
- CBJJE World Championship Runner-up (2010 Master)
- CBJJ/IBJJF Brazilian Nationals 3rd Place (2013 Senior 3)

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**Last Updated:** June 05, 2026

**Data Source:** bjj.space (https://bjj.space/people/wagner-mota)